Visual & Performing Arts Department

The Stonehill College Visual & Performing Arts Department is a place for those looking to discover or expand their own creative potential, for those fascinated by the social, historic and cultural heritage of the arts and for those seeking to enhance the liberal arts foundation of their education.

The Science and Soul of Art

Designed for Success

From publishing and advertising to screen-based design, Stonehill’s graphic design students graduate with a distinct advantage thanks to extensive internships, a professional design studio on campus and professors with deep roots in the field.

Gaining Appreciation Through Perspective

In all of our courses, students gain an appreciation for the modes through which artists have addressed essential aspects of the human condition in various cultures and during different historical periods.

We offer a curriculum that combines rigorous academics with experiential learning, allowing our students to explore their own creative potential with hands-on study of specific techniques.

Art as Social Catalyst

The Department of Visual & Performing Arts expands the definition and activities of traditional arts to include art as a form of outreach and as a social catalyst, where students are engaged in social service and mentoring in local communities.

This is seen in programs such as Stonehill’s Arts Outreach: Mentoring Through Photography and Visual Arts, which pairs elementary school students with Stonehill mentors during the academic year. The program has been serving local youth for more than a decade and continues to grow in scope and effectiveness. It's seen also in the work of graduates such as Kelvin Ramirez '01, who says his experiences at Stonehill shaped him as an artist and humanitarian and whose work as an art therapist will be featured in a motion picture set for release in 2014.

A Supportive Environment where Deep Bonds are Formed

As might be expected, our Visual & Performing Arts faculty are working artists, musicians, historians and graphic designers, all of whom are deeply committed to the kind of mentoring and guidance that allows students to find success both in the classroom and in careers.

In addition, students will find that Cushing-Martin Hall, which houses many of our studios and classrooms, fosters the creation of close-knit artistic communities, mainly because Visual & Performing Arts students typically work there on projects during the evening hours, forging strong bonds of friendship and sharing ideas and observations.

“ I am immersed in interesting design classes backed bypassionate teaching and my graphic design internship atKel & Partners in Boston was one of the best things that hashappened to me at Stonehill. I finally could picture myselfdoing this for a living.”